Taekwondo Southend-on-Sea

It's got to be asserted that Taekwondo can be quite physically demanding, which might put off the older and less agile folks in Southend-on-Sea from getting involved. To be truthful, the most frequent people participating in Taekwondo classes are kids and the younger generation, but obviously older individuals who are in excellent physical health can easily be involved and get benefits from this sport.

Based largely around kicking manoeuvres and moves like head kicks, rapid kicking methods and jumping/spinning kicks, Taekwondo was formulated from the techniques of various martial arts, by a group of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools known as "Kwans" during the 1940's and 1950's. These "Kwans" had the names Changmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, Mooduk Kwan, Jido Kwan and Songmu Kwan.

Popular all over the world Taekwondo now has over 60 million practitioners. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everyone, and joining a local Southend-on-Sea Taekwondo club or class is the best way to get yourself involved. There is no reason why you cannot reach a high standard in this thrilling sport, even if you have no desire to compete in the Olympics.

In these modern times of ever-increasing violence, it's hardly surprising that folks in places like Southend-on-Sea are enrolling in self-defence training like Taekwondo to help them feel safer in their local environment. The self-defence element is one of the primary factors of Taekwondo but at the same time it also promotes self-restraint and a respect for others around us, which are characteristics that are largely absent in this modern age.

There's a very good chance that your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will never need to be tested in your day to day life, but it will most certainly give you reassurance knowing that they are there should you need them.

Your First Southend-on-Sea Taekwondo Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you have ever tried previously, you will doubtless be curious about what you should be expecting from your first class should you decide to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Southend-on-Sea have different ideas about this but roughly; you'll take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you will do some technical training, you will learn some forms (patterns), you are going to practice sparring techniques and last but not least you will perform a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state once again.

Everyone who's a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Southend-on-Sea or any place else in the British Isles, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official governing body of the sport. By heading to the official British Taekwondo website you will be able to obtain details of health and safety, establishing a new club, events, coaching courses, news, referees and coaching, safeguarding and equality, members and clubs, first aid, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Kicks

One of the key components of Taekwondo is kicking, here is a selection of the standard kicking techniques: Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To fend off the numerous kicks and hand attacks there are a similarly diverse assortment of blocks (Makgi). Using the hand and different sections of the arm, they are held in diverse positions. Every block can be coupled with a punch or kick to create a counter-attacking manoeuvre, and each one is suitable for a particular attack. The key "blocks" include: Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block and Palm Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Forms are a key part of Taekwondo and are vital if you're to master this thrilling sporting activity. Several basic Taekwondo forms should be learned from the outset and more complicated forms will have to be mastered so as to move through the various ranks. A Taekwondo form is categorized by various points such as direction, stance and technique.

Taekwondo Belts

With regards to ranking, promotion and belts there isn't actually any real standardization in Taekwondo, since there are various styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own unique system. There are however similarities and they typically consist of a couple of groups of belts "seniors" and "juniors" represented by black and coloured belts respectively, . The senior levels usually have nine grades and the junior, between 8 and 12 tiers.

Taekwondo Tournaments

There are an array of competitions in Taekwondo associated with all the different styles. They mainly consist of breaking, sparring and patterns (forms) with hardly any hard contact. ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) contests do not permit excessive contact but do permit hand attacks aimed at the head. WT (World Taekwondo) and Olympic contests allow only sparring. Multi-style tournaments also take place.

Taekwondo for Beginners

Learners setting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Southend-on-Sea will initially sign up for a beginners class. Beginners classes are excellent, since there are no strict demands and everything is carried out at a relaxed, slow pace. Learning and having fun are the principal goals at the start and trainees who are enjoying themselves tend to learn much quicker and absorb considerably more of what they are being told. Even Taekwondo masters started out as naive novices, so take that initial step and you never know where you will finish up!

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Contests controlled by British Taekwondo guidelines require various items of protective gear to be worn, these include things like: a groin guard, red/blue body armour (hogu), a red or blue head guard, a mouth guard, forearm protectors, shin pads and hand protectors. This is a must owing to the potent kicking movements being practiced.

Conclusion

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess that we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo is not purely about National Championships and Olympic medals. The majority of of us are content to improve our fitness levels, meet different people and make new friends, and that is exactly how it should be. However, as with many things in life, what you get from it will hinge on what you put into it. Good luck and enjoy! 👊